Membership — The Secretary-General chooses the members of the Board from all regions of the world for their knowledge and experience in the field of disarmament and international security. Members serve an initial two-year term. There are fifteen members in 2013. The Director of UNIDIR is an ex officio member. The chair of the Board rotates by region on a yearly basis, and is responsible for submission of a private report on the session to the Secretary-General.

Sessions — The Advisory Board holds two sessions a year, alternating between New York and Geneva. The Board adopts its agenda based on requests from the Secretary-General for advice on specific disarmament issues and upon its own recommendations of items to be considered. The Secretary-General reports annually to the General Assembly on the activities of the Advisory Board.

UNIDIR — In its role as Board of Trustees of UNIDIR, the Advisory Board reviews reports of the work of the Institute, including completed and on going projects, personnel and financial matters, and future plans. The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is a voluntarily funded autonomous institute within the United Nations. An impartial actor, the Institute generates ideas and promotes action on disarmament and security. Based in Geneva, UNIDIR is centrally positioned to assist the international community in developing the practical, innovative thinking needed to find solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.